Oxford police to crack down on cyclists

OXFORD — The Oxford Police Department is going to enforce those traffic laws affecting cyclists, motorcyclists and other means of alternative transportation.

Assistant Police Chief Kevin Stark tells the Oxford Eagle that cyclists are expected to follow the same rules of the road as any other vehicle, even though the vehicle doesn’t have four wheels.

“We’re going to have to take a proactive stance on rules and regulations involving cyclists,” Stark said. “We have been getting an increased amount of complaints from walkers and drivers about bicycles.”

Complaints include cyclists running through red lights, passing cars on the right in an intersection and not stopping at stop signs.

“The rules of the road apply to bicycles as well as motor vehicles,” Stark said. “We want to make sure the road is safe for everyone.”

Cyclists can get traffic violations for just about anything a motor vehicle can and some of these tickets come with hefty fines.

Mississippi state law requires all drivers, bicycles, motorcycles and automobiles to follow the same laws and Stark said Oxford police will just be enforcing the laws that are, and have been, on the books.

“But we don’t want to just go out there and write a bunch of tickets without educating people first,” he said. “That’s out first goal — just to inform and educate the public so everyone is safer on the roads.”